Maxon Cinema 4D-Hosted “Women in Motion Graphics”

Panel at NAB 2018 Sheds Light on Industry Workplace Challenges

FRIEDRICHSDORF, Germany – May 16, 2018 – At this year’s 2018 NAB Show, Maxon, the industry-leading developer of Cinema 4D, the acclaimed 3D software application used by artists around the world for motion graphics, general design, VFX, VR/AR and all types of visualization applications, was host to a luncheon panel session entitled, “Women in Motion Graphics.”

According to Paul Babb, president/CEO, Maxon US, the company organized the panel of successful female artists, each working in different areas of the motion graphics industry from TV long form to commercials to TV news, film, new media, and beyond, to address the struggles of women entering and getting ahead in the industry, and to promote industry role models.

Sponsored by Maxon, a video of the April 9th panel discussion is now available on a new site, Women in Motion Graphics (WIMG). The site is also home to recommendations from each of the “Women in Motion Graphics” panelists for how the industry at-large can welcome more women into the ranks, and aims to provide aspiring artists and professionals with inspiration and resources.

At the “Women in Motion Graphics” session, moderator Tuesday McGowan, a multi-award winning creative director and designer, engaged Penelope Nederlander, Julia Siemón, Caitlin Cadieux, Robyn Haddow and Sarah Wickliffe, in frank conversation about their career experiences, the everyday challenges women face to achieve recognition and gender parity in a male dominated work environment, and strategies women can use to advance their careers.

McGowan opened the panel citing a 2016 survey in Motionographer that polled 30 motion design studios and found the gender gap among animators was to be an average of 79.5% men to 20.5% women. “There’s a problem, and even though there are signs that more young women are entering the field, overwhelmingly, men still dominate motion graphics and have a monopoly when it comes to 3D,” said McGowan. “Today, we want to discuss the issues, and why and how we might change the status quo.”Negotiating wages, mansplaining and being ‘talked-over’, the importance of flexible work time for women raising families, and the need for women to seek out industry mentorship were among the topics addressed in the session with overall encouragement and optimism expressed toward young women entering the field.“The Women in Motion Graphics panel offered incredibly constructive dialog from top female motion graphics designers on ways our industry can be more accommodating to women,” said Babb. “Maxon is committed to 3D artist education and community building. It is our hope this new website will provide aspiring students and female professionals in the 3D motion graphics industry with resources to help them bolster their careers and maximize their creative potential.”

About Women in Motion Graphics:The Women in Motion Graphics site, is born out of the Maxon-hosted “Women in Motion Graphics” panel that took place at the 2018 NAB Show. WIMG features a video of the panel proceedings in its entirety, profiles on each participant, tips for motion graphics industry influencers regarding workplace parity, and best practices for artists to achieve recognition. Links on the site are also available to motion graphics education and training, media outlets, professional organizations, and conferences.

About MaxonHeadquartered in Friedrichsdorf, Germany, Maxon Computer is a developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions. Its award-winning Cinema 4D and BodyPaint 3D software products have been used extensively to help create everything from stunning visual effects in top feature films, TV shows and commercials, cutting-edge game cinematics for AAA games, as well for medical illustration, architectural and industrial design applications. Maxon has offices in Germany, USA, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan and Singapore. Maxon products are available directly from the web site and its worldwide distribution channel. Maxon is part of the Nemetschek Group.